Phoenix

by Dawn Rae Miller

  "Up until that day, I'd always been able to creep into people's minds." Annalise wiggles her fingers to mimic walking. "See what they were thinking, so to speak."

  "How is that possible?" I ask, holding up my hands and stopping her. "We witches aren't mind readers, and you were just a child. Not even close to sixteen."

  Annalise nods. "That's what Malin wanted everyone to believe - she believed it herself, until she met me."

  "So you can read minds?" I ask in disbelief. Immediately, I begin guarding myself mentally. Everything makes so much sense now - the way she knew about Beck and me; the way she always seemed a step ahead of us.

  "Not anymore." There's so much sorrow and anger in her words. "Malin stole my power."

  "What? How?"

  "After that day with her - when I was eight - I was never able to see into another person's thoughts, but I often suspected she could."

  "How would she steal your power, Annalise? That's unheard of."

  My sister-in-law's eyes fill with tears. "Why don't you tell me? I've never seen you able to influence people until the interview. That's my power, and there you were, doing it. Without having to touch James. How, Lark? How? And why can I still do it? Why haven't you stripped it from me completely?"

  I recoil. "What are you saying? I stole your power?" I squish up my forehead. "Or I stole Mother's powers?"

  "No. I'm saying, like at Kyra's binding, you somehow are able to draw on other's powers and make them stronger. I think that's the secret of the Greene family. It's why you're all so strong."

  Kyra knocks on the door. "May I return?"

  "In a moment," I say, and shoo her away with the back of my hand.

  "Annalise, if what your saying is true, then I have no real power, just that of those around me."

  She shakes her head. "Oh no, you're strong, Lark. You can do plenty on your own." Her voice hitches. "Before he died, Oliver and I were researching the origins of the Greene family. I know all about Northwoods, or at least what happened there when Malin was a teen, and I have a strong suspicion you're on the same path."

  "As my mother? You think I'm going to blow up my home and kill someone?"

  As the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous I sound - I've already done these things.

  Annalise rests her hand on her stomach and closes her eyes as if trying to steady herself. "Yes. From what Oliver and I could tell, you can tap into other people's power, and it makes your own power stronger. It's why she asked you to blow the roof off the binding hall – Malin wanted to see if you could harvest our powers. And you did."

  "And you think I alone have this ability?"

  "Yes," her lips press together tightly before she exhales. "More importantly, I believe Malin was grooming you to steal your powers."

  I fall heavily into the chair. "She was going to leave me vulnerable? That's why she only wanted me to practice offensive magic?"

  "That's the conclusion Oliver and I came to."

  I gnaw at my inner cheek, thinking over all the implications. If Annalise is right, I can pull magic from anyone, including Light witches - which would explain how I saved Beck. It would also explain why I can grow crops - I've only ever done so with Henry. And it would explain a lot of my mixed-up behaviors.

  "Kyra," I say peeking my head out from the heavy red velvet curtain separating us. "Can you come in for a moment?"

  My best friend pops in, clearly annoyed at being sent out in first place. "What do you want?" She has her arms folded over her chest and a pout on her lips.

  "Transport with me to the Presidio - to the area by the eucalyptus grove. I want to try something."

  Annalise grabs at my arm. "Lark, no. It's too dangerous for you to be roaming around alone."

  "I'm not alone. I have Kyra, one of the best guards I know."

  I tap my wristlet and beam money to Annalise. "Pay for the dress and meet us at home."

  "This isn't wise."

  Kyra and I ignore Annalise and transport in the dresses.

  When I land, the fresh scent of earth fills my nose. How I love that smell, and what I wouldn't give to be out farming right now rather than chasing down magical theories.

  "What's up?" Kyra asks.

  "That attack move you did on Eamon, can you teach it to me?"

  "Sure. You just move your hands like this." She flips her hands to palm side up and curls her fingers inward. "Then you imagine sparks radiating from each finger tip, striking each person in the chest. It knocks them down every time."

  "Do you think it will work on trees?"

  "That's how I learned."

  "Perfect." Bitterness fills me. At Summer Hill, I was encased and couldn't do magic, and as a child, no one thought to explain to me what I was.

  "Ready?" Kyra asks.

  I copy her stance and take aim at a nearby tree. When I unfurl my fingers the tree groans and splits, but doesn't fall over.

  "Don't worry about it, Lark. It took me forever to get it."

  I nod my head. "Okay, this time I'm going to do something different. I'm going to try to tap into your magic."

  "You're going to do what?" Kyra says in shock.

  "Just watch. It won't hurt you."

  I focus on Kyra's energy, and draw it into my core. Once I'm sure I have it contained, I release the magic.

  Six trees topple over.

  "Oh!" Kyra's deep brown eyes are huge. "Look what you did!"

  It worked. I somehow drew her magic to me and made it my own.

  A grin dances on my lips. If what Annalise believes is true, I have unlimited powers.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  My euphoria is short-lived.

  As soon as I arrive home, I remember I'm nothing but a pawn and have been since the day I left school. No, scratch that. I've been a pawn since the day I was born. I've been groomed, prodded, and coached on how to be the perfect Stateswoman while Mother simultaneously used me to strengthen herself.

  I was to be the ultimate weapon: an unstoppable force of magic. That is, if Mother didn't take my powers for herself.

  Sigh. Between Beck and Annalise, and who knows whom else, I have been lied to too many times in the past few days.

  Too many.

  Why would Annalise omit that Kyra rushed to my aid during the attacks and was captured? Did she really think I wouldn't find out? And second, does Beck think I'm so obtuse that I wouldn't catch him in his lies about Ryker?

  So many secrets, and now I'm the keeper of them all. I just don't know what any of them mean.

  "Find Beck," I say into my wristlet. As angry as I still am about his knowledge of Ryker, I have to keep up appearances. It's going to be a real test of my self-control, but I'm up to it.

  "In the front room," my wristlet says.

  I tiptoe through the open door. He's asleep on the sofa with a tablet on his chest.

  What would un-mad Lark do? I ask myself. She'd pounce on him playfully.

  I creep closer to the sofa on tiptoes, until I'm standing right over Beck. I gently remove the tablet. and he doesn't stir.

  "Gotchya," I say, jumping on him and pushing my face into his neck. I plant little kisses along his collarbone.

  His arms wrap around me. "Hiya, Birdie." His groggy greeting is both cute and funny, and I find myself more at ease and less angry. "How did dress shopping go?"

  "Great. It only took two hours to find a dress that both Annalise and Kyra approved of and that I actually like."

  I shift so that I'm lying on my side stretched out next to him. With my free hand, I trace tiny circles up and down his back. "I learned something interesting today."

  "Uh huh," Beck says, with his eyes closed. Laying like this reminds me so much of how we were at school. All those nights I'd crawl into his bed, and he'd hold me. That life, my innocent one, seems so far away.

  "Are you listening, or are you dozing off?" I ask, pulling his eyelid open.

  He groans. "Both?"

  I nudge his ribs. "You're going to wa
nt to hear this." I wait for his eyes to flutter open before saying, "Apparently my mother could steal other people's powers. Seems like she targeted people who she thought could most benefit her."

  Beck yawns lazily. "That explains why Henry said she was never particularly good at certain types of magic as a young woman, but excelled at them as an adult." Beck stretches and massages the top of his blond head.

  "Do you know what Annalise thinks?" I ask.

  "What?"

  "That I have a similar ability, but I don't steal magic. I borrow it and make it stronger."

  He crinkles up his face as if concentrating. "Do you believe her?"

  "Yes. At Kyra's binding, I harvested Mother and Annalise's power to blow off the side of the building, and just a little while ago, Kyra and I tested Annalise's theory, and it works. I was able to use Kyra's magic to...to destroy some trees."

  It sounds pathetic when I say it like that.

  Beck bolts upright, and I nearly fall off the sofa. "What does this mean? Do you think I could do it too?"

  "I don't know, but I think it explains how I saved you. I drew on your light and made it stronger."

  "I had no idea that was even possible." He touches my arm. "Do you think that's what happens with us? When we feed off each other's emotions?"

  "Possibly."

  He kisses me again, and I let him. "I love you, my little amplifier."

  "What did you call me?"

  "An amplifier – it's something that makes other things stronger. And that's you. You make things stronger - they're not making you stronger. The power comes from within you."

  I can't help myself. "So for example, if I were to run into Ryker, I should be able to tap into his magic."

  Beck's lip twitches, just barely, but enough to let me know I'm right: he's hiding Ryker, or at least knows where he is.

  "What would you do to Ryker?"

  I trail my hand lazily down Beck's arm. "Oh, I think that depends on what he does to me." I tilt my head. "Sometimes I wonder where your loyalty lies - with me or him."

  Beck sucks in a quick breath. "As if you even need to ask. It's always to you. Even when you were at your worst, I stood strong. For both of us."

  I widen my eyes and nod in agreement.

  For now, it's best if Beck thinks I believe him.

  #

  I pace back and forth, unsure what to do. Not only is Beck continuing to lie to me, but I also need to know if what Annalise says is true – does the real power of the Greenes lie in our ability to steal and borrow others' magic?

  If anyone would know, it would be Henry.

  Too tired to transport, I drag myself up the stairs to Henry's room and knock.

  From inside comes the sound of shuffling feet. Henry cracks the door open and peers out. He looks as disheveled as I feel. "Lark, what's wrong?"

  I lean against the doorframe, and he stares past my shoulder, as if looking at me were painful.

  "Am I an amplifier?"

  My uncle stares at me blankly. "A what?"

  "An amplifier. Do I take other people's magic and make it my own, but only stronger. Annalise and Beck think so. Plus I tried it out with Kyra, and it worked."

  Henry runs a hand back and forth through his messy hair. His glasses are askew.

  "Did I wake you up? Should I come back later?" I ask through the cracked door.

  Henry peers at me. "No. No. You're fine." He glances over his shoulder, back into his room.

  And then I see Eloise.

  Oh.

  Oh.

  My cheeks flame, and I turn from the doorway. "Why don't you come find me when you're...you're done here."

  "Lark, wait," Eloise says. Like at Summer Hill, my Light witch friend is cheerful like bottled sunshine. "It's not what you think. I mean, it is, but it isn't. Henry and I are going to be bound."

  My olive eyes rest on my friend. Everything about her says 'elation' and 'happiness,' but a nasty hollowness fills my insides. Another happily bound couple. Meanwhile, I have Beck who is lying to me.

  "Congratulations," I squeak out before marching away.

  Behind me, Eloise says, "I thought she'd take it much better. Especially after how she teased me at Summer Hill."

  "Let's give her some time, then let me talk to her. Something is clearly wrong," Henry answers.

  I don't stop my angry march down the hallway. When I reach my room, I fling the door open with magic and barricade myself inside.

  With resignation, I fling myself back onto my bed and conjure a small fire in the fireplace.

  I pull a cozy throw over my legs, and let my eyes shut. I'm fumbling at everything I do. When will I finally get something right?

  #

  "It takes time, Love, along with a healthy dose of force and fear." Mother's melodic voice fills my ears, and I lazily open my eyes.

  "You're back," I say.

  She holds her hands before her as if examining them. "So I am. Would you rather I leave?"

  I shake my head. "No, but if I were to say 'yes' would you leave?"

  Mother lets out a high, melodic laugh. "Absolutely not. You need me."

  "Just tell me," I say, asking my most pressing question. "Are you real, or are you dead? Am I being haunted?"

  Mother sits on the edge of my bed. "I'm very much real to you, am I not, Love?"

  I can tell this will get me nowhere. "Were you grooming me to steal my powers?"

  She feigns insult. "Love, I was teaching you all I knew because I understood one day you'd be on your own. I wanted you to be strong - on your own."

  "So am I an amplifier, like Beck says?"

  A soft smile dances on her lips. "We knew about the two of you for a while. The way you influence each others' emotions. I also suspected you could do Light magic when with Light witches. Summer Hill proved it to me." She reaches out and touches my foot. "You are truly a special girl, Love. A force to be reckoned with."

  I close my eyes trying to process what my imaginary Mother is telling me. It all makes sense.

  "Love, I'm afraid I have to go." I open my eyes and watch Mother's image crack like a mirror. Nothing is left behind. Not even a fine dust.

  Cold, I pull the blanket up to my neck. The door creeks open, and I don't bother to roll over. I want Beck to think I'm sleeping. I don't have the capacity to explain my overactive imagination to anyone right now.

  "Hiya, Lark."

  The voice comes from the shadows, and vomit rises in my throat.

  Ryker.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Ryker steps out of the darkness and into the soft glow of the fire. His hands are above his head, as if surrendering.

  My heart races, but I don't feel threatened. Instead, like Beck, I tilt my head and allow myself to focus on the emotions flowing from Ryker. From my position across the room, his anxiety races through me. He's nervous. Which makes him dangerous.

  I keep my hands ready, magic slithering over my palms. I haven't forgotten the little issue of him possibly being the one who tried to kill me, and my only guess why he's here is to fulfill the promise he made to me. Since we don't have the best track record when it comes to me hurting and abusing him, this can't be a social call.

  "How did you get in here?" I ask, knowing full well that he can sneak into just about anywhere. It's his job. But what I worry about is that Beck brought him in. I quickly assess my surroundings, scanning for Beck, but there's no sign of him.

  "Trade secrets." Ryker winks, but his emotions are a jumble of fear and bravado. Not playfulness. That's just the mask he's wearing.

  Which means he has no idea I can read his feelings. Perhaps he doesn't know Beck can do it, too? Interesting.

  "You are one of the most wanted criminals in the State. Do you think Annalise won't find you?"

  He sits on the arm of a chair. I have to hand it to Ryker, he's great at appearing calm and in charge. "She won't find me because I'm surrendering myself to you."

  My mouth drops open. "What?"
<
br />   The sound of a transporting witch crackles near my window, and both Ryker and I turn our heads in that direction. I expect Annalise or one of my other guards, but instead Beck stands a few feet from me.

  He glances at the boy sitting on the arm of our chair. "I see Ryker beat me here."

  Is this part of a plan Beck and Ryker have? I assess both of them, but can't determine their motive.

  Something bitterly sweet burns my throat, but my traitorous heart hums to life, desperate to be near Beck.

  "You knew he was coming," I accuse. "How?"

  "Ryker was right where I expected him to be – lurking around Lena's house."

  "So you found him?" I ask, knowing the answer. Beck's secrets aren't adding up.

  "Yes. A few days ago. I didn't say anything because I didn't want Annalise and the others torturing him for information."

  I sit with that for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to believe him. It's true that Annalise would have tortured Ryker. It's standard procedure, after all.

  Still, it doesn't make keeping the information from me right.

  "You let him roam around for a few days?" I exclaim, as I pace before the window. "A few days where he could have killed me, or you, or both of us."

  "I was giving him the benefit of doubt," Beck says, his voice rising in tenor. He stares down at me, and I give him what I hope is a defiant look back.

  "You were giving him a chance to kill me." My body tenses, and I grind my teeth.

  Beck tilts his head to the side and studies me. "You're angry and very frightened," he says. "Ryker scares you."

  "Yes, of course he does. He promised to kill me." My pacing is more frantic now as I struggle with the building magic in my core. Every fiber of my body is screaming for me to attack them, yet I know it's the wrong thing to do.

  At least for now.

  "I know he promised, but trust me, he's not going to."

  "You know this how?" I ask before taking a deep, cleansing breath, trying to rid myself of my magical impulsivity. My fear mingles with Beck's indignation, and I double over as if in pain. Beck's hand juts out to catch me. "Thank you," I say.